Best Films to Watch in London This Week

Out and about this week? Fancy a film but can't make your mind up what to see? Look no further: we’ve assembled the best of what’s showing in London and gathered them here to make choosing a great movie as easy as possible. Whatever you're in the mood for, WeLoveCinema has you well and truly covered…

Jojo Rabbit

Following the low-budget delights of What We Do in the Shadows and Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Taika Waititi's career sky rocketed in the wake of relentlessly enjoyable Marvel romp Thor: Ragnarok – a film whose success has given him the license to make Jojo Rabbit, a satire about a young man drafted into the Hitler Youth whose imaginary friend just happens to be – yup – Hitler. Given its controversial subject matter – not to mention the fact that Waititi plays a quipping, lighthearted version of the world's most reviled human being – means that Jojo Rabbit has divided critics and audiences in their droves. Safe to say the Wes Anderson-esque frolics won't be to everyone's taste, but you can't deny this is a film with bold intentions – even when it doesn't quite work.

Get Jojo Rabbit showtimes in London or read our full review.

Amanda

This French film from director and co-writer Mikhaël Hers hones in on the aftermath of a tragedy in which a young Parisian girl – the Amanda of the title, played by Isaure Multrier – is taken under her uncle's wing after her mother is tragically killed in a terrorist attack. Vincent Lacoste stars as said uncle in a film that thrives on the authentic chemistry shared by its sweet-natured leading duo. Though it isn't perfect (at times it verges on the very saccharine), most will find something real and mediative about Amanda. It touches upon something truthful about the ways in which we come together in times of distress.

Get Amanda showtimes in London or read our full review.

The Gentleman

Guy Ritchie's career of late has consisted of a bizarre medley of the underrated (The Man From U.N.C.L.E.), the abhorrent (King Arthur), and the frankly unnecessary (Aladdin). It's good to see him returning to his roots, then, with the London gangster flick that is The Gentleman, a film which plays out like a bigger budget version of his iconic earlier works such as Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch. Matthew McConaughey stars as a rich drug lord who finds himself going up against an all-star cast, including Colin Farrell, Charlie Hunnam, and Henry Golding. It's Hugh Grant who outright steals the film, however, having reinvented himself as one of the most brilliantly versatile character actors working today.

Get The Gentleman showtimes in London or read our full review.

Little Women

Greta Gerwig helms what is arguably the definitive adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's seminal novel with her latest effort as a writer-director. Starring Florence Pugh, Emma Watson, Saoirse Ronan, and Eliza Scanlen, the story unfolds as the heart-warming tale of four sisters growing up in the aftermath of the American Civil War, featuring Laura Dern, Meryl Streep, and Chris Cooper in supporting roles. Richly drawn and narratively ambitious, Little Women is a pure delight to watch from start to end, and a film that confirms Gerwig as one of the best filmmakers working today. Unmissable, in every sense of the word.

Get Little Women showtimes in London.

Long Day's Journey Into Night

This Chinese drama finds its magic in the place between dreams and memories, as Luo Hongwu (Jue Huang) returns to his hometown for the first time in years following his father’s death and gets caught up trying to track down an old flame. This seed of a story allows filmmaker Bi Gan to create the dreamiest of films, in which time and memory are seamlessly rendered as one fluid whole. It's Long Day's Journey Into Night's second half, however, where the film really comes into its own, unfolding as an hour-long dream sequence shot in a single take that is completely hypnotic and mesmerising in every way. Sumptuous.

Get Long Day's Journey Into Night showtimes in London or read our full review.

Spies in Disguise

What if Will Smith was a spy but also a pigeon? That's essentially the premise driving this completely absurd yet somehow irresistible animated yarn from Blue Sky Studios, who also made the Ice Age movies. Spies in Disguise, definitely their best film in ages, features a super stacked cast of recognisable voices, including Will Smith, Tom Holland, Rashida Jones, Ben Mendelsohn, Rachel Brosnahan, Karen Gillan, and DJ Khaled, and delivers upon its spy movie parody plot by way of great action scenes and some genuine heart, too. The year's best film about a shapeshifting secret agent turned pigeon, by far.

Get Spies in Disguise showtimes in London.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

At last, the “Skywalker Saga” culminates with The Rise of Skywalker, the ninth episode in cinema's most famous – and perhaps beloved – franchise. In the wake of the rather controversial Last Jedi, director JJ Abrams – who helmed The Force Awakens, essentially A New Hope remade – is back behind the camera. His film, overstuffed and apologetic, is one that's sure to be divisive. Whilst The Last Jedi set out to subvert and demythologise Star Wars, Skywalker U-turns and does the exact opposite. Starring Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, and Oscar Isaac, it's a finale that's sure to delight some with its unashamed attempt to right the wrongs of Last Jedi and disappoint others with just how brazenly it does that. Prepare for discourse!

Get Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker showtimes in London or read our full review here.

La Dolce Vita

One of the all-time great Italian pictures, La Dolce Vita – is there another film whose title is as nice to say? – returns to cinemas this week with a stunningly beautiful 4K restoration. You could argue for hours as to which of Fellini's films is his true masterpiece, of course, but few can resist the sumptuous, iconic vibes of this three-hour long epic concerning the exploits of a playboy writer (Marcello Mastroianni), whose life unfolds as an endless parade of beautiful girls and fancy parties, depicted here as a soul-searching odyssey across seven episodes. The performances are unforgettable, of course, and yet all these years later the film's greatest gift to cinephiles might be its gorgeous black and white cinematography. Appreciate this one on the biggest screen possible whilst you can.

Get La Dolce Vita showtimes in London or read our full review.